Nobody REQUIRED Hitachi to put anything on the machine. They decided to do that until they were forced not to do that by a mafia-like business "partner".

If customers don't like it, they'll vote with the wallets. But ALLOWING an OEM to make decisions that might be good or bad for a them should be their decsion, NOT THAT OF A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE WHO WANTS TO OWN EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO MAKE BUSINESSES DANCE TO THEIR TUNE.

ALLOWING an OEM that decides to put it on every machine is far different than REQUIRING every OEM put it on every machine. Your strawman was about the latter. Chris' statement was about the former.

Sorry about the shouting. I wanted to be sure you heard it this time.

I had to do it again. Evidently the words were still too long.

Read your own words. The OEM made a decision, not an outside company. Along came an outside company (M$) that threatened to break their kneecaps unless they "cooperated". As a show of good faith, they roughed them up a little, tossed a few goods in the floor, and left the premises. Hitachi then made the "right" decision to stay in business instead of finding the property burnt to cinders one night while the fire department was busy "working" elsewhere. The result is one less compebreastor for the mob to worry about.

The whole point is about letting OEMs decide what will or won't work for their bottom line, and letting customers decide if they like this or that business' practices.

How many times do we you have to be taught these things, Erik? I think even tab could retain this stuff for more than 15 minutes. And that boy is slooooooooooow!

I must apologize... 10097True or not, it wasn't a Be decision for putting them on machines. Sure, they might have negotiated things. But the decision was Hiatachi's. Until, that is...